Swollen nasal mucosa in the baby
In babies and infants, a swollen nasal mucosa is an even greater problem than in older children or adults, since in this age group breathing still occurs predominantly through the nose and breathing through the mouth, e.g. only when crying. The consequences of obstructed nasal breathing in babies can be restless sleep at night, but also problems when drinking breast milk, since the mouth is closed again as an alternative breathing organ. Therefore, it is recommended that babies make sure that the air in their bedroom is not too dry at night, and cooler room temperatures around 18°C are also protective against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
In addition, as with adults, nose drops with a 0.9% saline solution can help reduce swelling. If this does not bring the desired success either, there are still vasoconstricting nose drops available, as is also known in adults. However, it should be noted that you should never use an adult nasal spray, as these contain much higher concentrations of active ingredients. For babies they are only approved in lower concentrations.Care should be taken to use this type of nose drops only for a short period of time (not longer than 1 week), and to dose very sparingly, so that no damage can usually occur.
Swollen nasal mucosa during pregnancy
Swollen nasal mucosa, is an issue that women often face during pregnancy. In addition to the other inconveniences that pregnancy can cause, such as nausea, which pregnant women often have to deal with, a swollen nasal mucosa is not a cause for concern. This can occur as early as the 2nd month of pregnancy, but disappears at the latest, like other inconveniences that occur during pregnancy, with the birth of the child and thus with the end of the pregnancy.
The cause of a swollen nasal mucosa during pregnancy is the hormone oxytocin. This hormone increases in its concentration during pregnancy and ensures that, among other things, the nasal mucous membrane is better supplied with blood. As can also be observed in other parts of the body, when they are better supplied with blood, the nasal mucous membrane also swells due to better blood supply and thus narrows the lumen of the nose, which in turn can lead to a blocked nose. Here too, depending on the symptoms, one can resort to tried and tested home remedies such as inhalation of essential oils, nasal rinsing with table salt or nasal sprays based on sea salt or table salt.